Frequently Asked Questions

I have an appointment for services. How long will the appointment take?

It depends upon the requested services. We will try to maximize efficiency. For clinic-based evaluations, most students will be seen once or twice with sessions lasting a few hours to a whole day. For some services, clinic staff will provide supports in partnership with school personnel at the individual’s campus.

Where will the appointment(s) take place?

For diagnostic evaluations, most students will be seen in our clinic located on the USF campus in Tampa.. These visits may include parent interviews, child interviews, and standardized testing (e.g., autism assessments, IQ assessments, etc.). In addition, ICEI staff members may observe the student in the classroom and, when relevant, in the home. The purpose of the observation is to gather information about how the student functions at school and how best to help him/her be successful by assisting the school team in implementing evidence-based strategies.

For behavioral evaluations, including functional behavior assessments, ICEI will partner with the student’s school team to assist in providing additional supports.

Will the caregiver/parent and student be together for testing sessions?

It depends. There may be some assessments at the clinic that require a caregiver to be present. Other assessments are best conducted with the caregiver out of the room. A caregiver is expected to remain in the ICEI clinic area while the student is being assessed.

If the caregiver is unable to accompany the student to the clinic, can another adult accompany the student?

We strongly encourage primary caregivers/parents to be present for the evaluation. However, all consents must be completed and signed by the legal guardian. If the caregiver/parent is unable to be present for the evaluations, the primary caregiver/parent should contact the clinic to obtain a waiver for their signature.

Where will I park?

The ICEI has one designated parking space close to the clinic. A permit is not needed to park in this space. Please see the maps and directions to our space.

What should caregivers/parents bring to their appointments?

Please dress comfortably and in layers in the event that the clinic temperature is too hot or too cold. The caregiver/parent may wish to bring a small snack and drink for the student. If there are any recent evaluations/updated records that have not yet been submitted to ICEI, please bring these as well.

Who will do the evaluations?

At a minimum, the student will be seen by a licensed psychologist and a board certified behavior analyst. Based on the student’s needs, he/she may also been seen by additional members of the ICEI interdisciplinary team including graduate students who are under the supervision of licensed and certified staff.

May a caregiver/parent choose not to share portions of the student’s test results with the school district?

No, evaluation results will be shared in their entirety with all members of the student’s team including ICEI staff, teachers/school staff, and caregivers/parents. Most of the feedback sessions in which the evaluation results are shared will be held at the student’s school and the school team will be invited.

The student is being home-schooled or attends a non-public (private) school. Can he/she still qualify for ICEI services?

It depends. ICEI cannot replicate services available in the school district. ICEI may first suggest the caregiver contact the neighborhood public school to request services. If the school district has provided services, and the student has not responded to the interventions, it may be possible to qualify for services from ICEI. A referral packet would need to be completed before determining whether the student is eligible for ICEI services.

The student’s family is in crisis. How soon can the student be evaluated by ICEI?

ICEI’s purpose is not to provide immediate services to students in crisis. In most cases, students are served in the order in which their completed referral packets are received.

Does ICEI provide individual therapy (e.g., ABA therapy, counseling, family therapy)?

No, ICEI’s purpose is not to provide individual therapies. There may be special projects offered, such as social skills training or parent behavior skills training, that use evidence-based strategies that can be generalized in school settings. Check the website for any information related to current special projects.

Questions & Information

To learn more, contact ICEI:
Phone: 813.974.0968
Fax: 813.905.9836
Email: icei@usf.edu

Download
ICEI Brochure